Flavors from the Seoul

Spices, Seasoning, and Seoul

Authentic Korean food is a rich and diverse cuisine that spans generations and surrounds a range of flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques. Many dishes are based on a combination of rice, noodles, vegetables, and meat or seafood, with a variety of spices and sauces used to add flavor and depth to each dish.

Many Asian dishes are based on proteins, vegetables, and not much oil is used when cooking. According to Lynn Miller, this is to enhance the health benefits.

“There are several healing benefits to Korean food,” Miller said. “It helps fight off diseases and ultimately makes you feel stronger and healthier.”

Korean food has become increasingly popular in Austin since 2015, with a growing number of restaurants and food trucks popping up throughout the city, but Miller explained it wasn’t always like this.

“We didn’t have a lot of Korean restaurants growing up,” Miller said, “but I always wanted a place where I could go with my friends that was fun and provided fun drinks, cool music, and had more of an atmosphere.”

From traditional dishes like bulgogi and kimchi stew to more modern fusion cuisine, Korean food in Austin offers a unique and delicious culinary experience that is sure to satisfy even the most critical foodie.

One of the most popular Korean dishes in Austin is bulgogi, a savory and slightly sweet beef dish that is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and other spices. Served with rice and a variety of vegetables, bulgogi is a hearty and satisfying meal that is perfect for lunch or

“For Kimchi Stew, you just take kimchi and you age it, ferment it, and then you make a broth and a stew with it that has some vegetables and zucchini and pork,” said Miller.

Kimchi Stew is also a popular dish in Korean-Americanusion cuisine, a spicy and tangy fermented cabbage that is often served as a side dish or used as a condiment for other dishes. Made with a variety of spices and seasonings, kimchi is a staple of Korean cuisine and can be found at many Korean restaurants throughout the city.

“I just like it because it always makes me feel good. If I’m either cold or if I want something comforting and also really healing, I usually eat that,” Miller shared.

In addition to these traditional dishes, many Korean restaurants in Austin also offer more modern fusion cuisine that combines Korean flavors with other culinary traditions. For example, Oseyo in Austin serves Korean-style tacos,

“I have started to find a lot of similarities between Korean and Mexican food,” Miller said. “And so we have new specials now that intertwine Mexican and Korean ingredients, like we’ll use jalapeno and soju and like cilantro with herbs from Korea and we make dishes like that”

Korean food in Austin offers a unique and delicious culinary experience that is sure to delight foodies of all kinds. Whether an Austin foodie isa fan of traditional Korean dishes or more modern fusion cuisine, there is no shortage of great Korean restaurants and food trucks to choose from in the Capital City.

Graphics by Maya Trujillo